The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-01-07
THE ARTHUR KILL Dn1paE.
The Board of Engineers Say tho u. & o
~ Af1tS Must Change its Plan.

=. 't,tS Must Change Its Plan.
WASHINGTON, Jan. G.-The Secretary Of
War transmitted to the Senate in response
to resolution Of that body, tho report oi
the Board Of Eugineers for Fortifications
and River and Harbor improvements on
the proposed bridge across the Arthur
Kill, Staten Island Sound. The report Is
accompanied by voluminoun documents,
giving in detail the data OH which the re-.
port Is based. 1t says that theramount Of
freight which annually passes the eito Of
the proposed bridge across the Arthur
Kill will approach 5,75D,0OO or G,OOO, 900
tona OF actual freight, an amount In excess
Of the tonnage Of foreign commerce cleared
from Now York for 1885, II is thus
seen, says the report, that 90 far as
tonnage Ia concerned, this 10 one OF the
great waterways Of this country, and, In.
deed, Of the world. OF this vast amount
OF freight probably nine.tenths Is in tow,
sometimes reaching seventy vessels to ono
tow. Tho tows are usually made UP with
five Yeaselg abreast, aud are eight vessels
long, and their dimensions arc 100 to 1875
feet In width, by about 500 feet long,
Under tho plan submitted by the Station
Island Rapid Transit Company, such
masses Of veesels a'o to pass through
clear opening between piers about 200
feet wides Tho report says that the expo.
rience at the draw at tho mouth Of the
Raritan river, through which about one.
third as much freight passes as through
Arthur Kill, and which has 2O7 feet draw
openings, shows that the draw at that
place is a serious obstruction to navlga.
ton, and has caused considerable losses
from delays and collisions. .--,..tZz..- 80 n
The tows TO 20 north through the Ar
thur Kill pass the proposed sits OF tho
bridge while the lido is running flood.
and when any collision would produce
great damage. They are much larger
than those passing through the Raritan
draw, and it Is .imprac.icable for these
large tows to anchor, as tho smaller enes
do at the Rayitan draw. The board is
therefore Of opinion that If bridge we're
constructed as proposed, with a p;or in
the middle Of the Kill, 1t would necessi.
tate large reduction in the size OF tows,
and the consequent increase in the cost Of
transportation, and 1t is OF opinion that II
there were natural obstruction so seri-
ous as pier in the middle OF the stream,
it's removal would bs urgently and right
fnlly demanded, oven at great cost. The
obstruction is not Tiers now, and nhould
not bu placed there, TO the injury of nav
igation, in order to save fow hundred
thousand dollars to the railroad company.
The proposed bridge, the report says,
is also OF insufficient height, the lowest
part Of the superstructure being but 94
feet inches above mean low water.
70 For these yireasons, tho board recon-
mends to the Secretary of War q bridge at
the site proposed, the channel face OF
whose east pier shall bs on the Staten Is.
lGnd bulkhesd or shurt line, and whose
channel span ahall give clear opening Of
450 feet; whose span next west shall be
draw span, giving 125 feet clear opening,
the lowest part OF those spans being so feet
above mean high water. The foundations
OF the pier should be 30 arranged as to ad-
NIT future deepening OF the Kill to twenty
feet. t''5l'H - . 2 % 'aslF1-751t ~
"such bridge will be IN obstruction
and On Inconvenience" the report says,
"but will not in any ser;ous degree in
crease the cost OF transportation. It in
wolves some increase Of cost to the railroad
company, but no moro than it should bear
rather than infringe on tho pre-e1isting
rights Of navigation" .lf1
"a drawbridge on the proposed Buck
wheat Island site" the report says, would
be imprscticahle. for the reason that the
channel has but six ieet Of water on one
side, and on the other tho channel is mar
rover than at the site recommended :; i